Guptill named captain of Guyana Amazon Warriors

New Zealand opener Martin Guptill will captain Guyana Amazon Warriors for the 2016 edition of the Caribbean Premier League, taking over the duties from Denesh Ramdin.

Guptill was a part of the Guyana franchise in 2013 and 2014, before moving to St Kitts & Nevis Patriots for the 2015 season. In the 2016 CPL player draft, he was once again picked up by Warriors for USD $130,000, becoming one of the six designated marquee players in the league. Overall, Guptill has scored 821 runs from 28 CPL matches at 35.69.

"It is a huge thrill and great honour for me," Guptill said. "I am really excited about working with a talented crop of emerging local and international talent and we will be working hard to try and be consistent and go one step further and clinch the title which has eluded the Warriors on two occasions." Warriors made the final of the tournament in 2013 and 2014, but lost on both occasions, to Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Tridents.

Guptill, who is ranked third in the ICC's T20 batting list, will be joined by Sohail Tanvir, Dwayne Smith, Chris Lynn and Adam Zampa in Warriors' squad. The team will play the opening game of the tournament, against Patriots, on June 30.